The joy of Teaching

[epinephrine]

Hi All,

 

I have been convinced to post this story by a few freinds at the pen. It is a serial thing that I will add to weeklyish as my teaching schedule allows. It takes elements of life as a teacher in real life and uses them unashamedly. I would value any feedback or suggestions as to how you might see the story progressing, ideas for characthers, anything to make it a little more challenging... I hope you like!

 

 

On the joys of teaching (in character)

 

 

Epinephrine wondered for the seventh time that day why he had agreed to teach these good-for-nothing, no talent hacks. It seemed all students were interested in these days was their new fangled toys and their tuneless, arrhythmic music….

 

Oh gods did I just think that? the youthful part of his mind retorted. He was starting to sound like some old senile wombat and that worried him almost as much as the lack of interest from his students.

 

Stopping himself before he went off on another rush of mental abuse for useless students, the alchemist turned back from the chalkboard to face the class.

 

“And thus you can see why the early attempts to alter the underlying nuclear force in an atom were dramatically unsuccessful” he announced, a look of triumph at reaching such a clear proof for (the all be it rather trivial) problem he had just spent an hour demonstrating the proof from first principles. Was that a glimmer of respect from that young man in the front row with the rather flat nose and thick glasses? What was his name? James…no Joseph. Oh who cared? The rest of the class were a mixture of disinterested stares and flat out asleep anyway.

 

“Make sure you have read the second chapter of my treatise on the effects of extreme temperature on the proton-neutron interaction before tomorrow’s class” he said, knowing the futility of his request even as it left his lips.

 

With a mixture of deep-seated depression and shallow relief the weary alchemist began the climb up the stairs to his tower. Usually the 705 stairs acted as an aid to meditation but this afternoon his mind was too busy contemplating how he would ever motivate these lazy good-for-nothing….his brain fell back into the all too familiar list of complaints as he climbed.

 

 

Reaching his study he muttered the charm that opened the complex locking device and entered the warm sanctuary that was his refuge from the mass of undergraduates that threatened to strangle the life out of him each day. He dropped another sheaf of parchment onto an already dangerously large pile of marking and threw his heavy teaching gown onto the back of a hat-stand carved like a lightning bolt in the corner. Seating himself in front of his large desk, ensconced in a deep-red leather chaise he took three deep breaths and spent a few precious seconds composing his thoughts. Finally he picked up a rather bedraggled looking quill and parchment and was just about to begin writing when there was a sharp rat-a-tat on the door.

 

Damm, lazy good-for-nothing insolent…. His mind began cursing the intruder before he could even get to his feet. If it isn’t one useless student it’s another!

 

“Entrez!” he called angrily, turning awkwardly in his chair to face the oncoming annoyance with a look of “and why did you bother to get out of bed this morning?” fixed firmly in place.

 

It was with considerable surprise then that he saw the door swing slowly open to reveal the Head of the University, his bright red doctoral robes glowing with golden runes that he had obviously bewitched to glimmer as he strode into the office. The Head’s face was radiant with a huge smile and he began to speak before Epinephrine could muster a greeting.

 

“My dear Professor de Chemie and Alchemie, I am so glad that I can be the first to congratulate you. It could not have been awarded to a more deserving individual. I am entirely confident the two of you shall enjoy notable enlightenment and bring superfluous enhancement to the already outstanding reputation of our most virtuous establishment.”

 

Cringing at the use of his loathed official title, Epinephrine took a few seconds to decipher the Head’s edu-speak and to his bemusment realised he still had no idea what his illustrious leader was on about.

 

“I’m sorry sir, but I am quite sure I have no idea what you are talking about” he replied.

 

“You haven’t opened this morning’s mail then I gather?” the Head queried.

 

“Sadly I have not yet had the pleasure” said Epinephrine thinking of the usual pile of rubbish that passed itself off as mail in his deliveries. Letters from lazy students, requesting extensions to assignments, advertisements from cheap manufacturers of chemistry equipment with fancy offers, as if they didn’t know that only handmade equipment was of any use in the fine art of potion making. But come to think of it, perhaps this morning he had noticed a rather large, fine-looking scroll amongst his mail-pile. Digging quickly through it he found the scroll and noticed the rather imposing seal of the Ancient Guild of Mage-Scientists in gold along its edge.

 

Breaking the seal he reverently opened the scroll and began to read.

 

It is with great pleasure that I am able to inform you that you have been awarded this years “Excellence in alchemic education and research” award. The committee was most impressed with your treatise on “The benefits of co-development of science and language with particular attention to the ancient runes and marks of the Celts, Greeks and Mage lineages”. We are happy to announce that you will be released from your teaching duties for the next 14 lunar months to pursue research of your own interest in the alchemy and education fields at the expense of the Guild. We will also be happy to meet any accompanying expenses incurred in the pursuit of such research. Our only requirement is that you include a doctoral student in your work in the interests of furthering scientific and magical education.

 

“You can see the benefits of this to both your career and to the prestige of the university I trust professor?” enthused the Head. “Of course we shall have to shift you to more suitable lodgings here on campus. I think Bromwich house would be more appropriate for our new award-winning professor, don’t you?”

 

“Bromwich house”, spluttered epinephrine” Which room did you have in mind, if you don’t mind me prying Headmaster?”

 

“Why the whole building of course”, responded the Head with a huge grin spreading as he began to imagine the advertising spin he could develop from this new state of affairs. “I shall have it prepared this afternoon. You can move in tomorrow. And of course I shall have your classes taken over by one of the other professors. Professor Monroe I think. Oh this is most exciting…”

 

With that he turned and strode from the room leaving epinephrine dazed and confused. But that quickly changed as the benefits of the news began to sink in. No more students! The mere entertainment of such a concept caused his mind to reach new levels of activity, the very neurons seeming to relish this liberation. And research into any field of his choosing! What a license to explore. Epinephrine stood and began to pace along an already well worn section of one of his thick silk floor-rugs. His brain was working overtime already creating, evaluating and rejecting as too simple, ideas for a research topic. It was only as it discarded delving into the ideas of transmogrification and its effect on the mental faculties that his brain clicked back to the proviso at the end of the scroll.

 

A doctoral student…

 

With a quickly growing feeling of desperation he saw all his dreams of research slipping away. He would be chained to a research student, limited by their ineptitude no doubt. Damn. How to get around this Trojan rabbit?

 

It was only later that evening that he remembered that tomorrow he would be shifting into Bromwich House. With a flurry of excitement and forgetting all thoughts of students, he began to pack his study.

 

End of part the first.

[epinephrine]

Part The Second

 

 

Epinephrine walked pondorously through the rooms of his new quarters, his mind carefully planning and visioning the setup of each and how each room would become a part of his new study centre. He had already chosen the largest room as his study and had hung thick tapestries and magical paintings of far off places on the walls. Embedded into the ceiling was a star chart that Gryphon had helped him to install that would respond to his thoughts and show different dates and locations at will. The floor had been polished until it gleamed and then had fine silk rugs strategically laid to add warmth. His old furniture had been given away and he now had a huge workbench for his potion making and several comfortable chairs and loungers for reading and thinking. It was everything he had dreamed in a study. The two rooms adjoining had been converted into storage for the vast array of items he had collected on his travels and for the thousands of scrolls and parchments that he held so dear. The entire room exuded peace and quiet and the very fibres in the air seemed to resonate at the frequency of wisdom, if such a thing were possible...

 

But something was still not well in the consiousness of Epinephrine. In just ten minutes this peace would be disrupted by the annoying entrance of his student.

 

Epinephrine had no idea what to expect from this interuption to his perfect study world. The Head had chosen the student for him before he had been able to offer any carefully discreet hints as to who might be suitable. The only tidbit of infomation he had been ablt to garner was that the student was from another university and was not from the field of education. This at once both excited him and scared him to the core. Perhaps they would be a fresh breath of intelligence, someone who would offer a new perspective on his work, prepared to help him and comitted to the long hours to which he was accustomed. Or maybe they would be some shlameel with no clue who was merely the son of some irrelevant wealthy trader. It was too much to think of being burdened with an idiot to nurse for a year into mediocrity.

[epinephrine]

A First Meeting

 

The resonance of the room was wobbled by a confident knock at the door. Reluctantly Epinephrine dragged himself from his chair and straightened his tunic. Walking pensively towards the source of the interruption he attempted to compose himself and by the time he reached the door he had managed to contort his face to somewhere half-way between in control and in serious pain. He pulled the heavy oak door open and caught his breath.

 

Standing before him was a young lady with a huge grin on her face.

 

“Good morning!” she announced. “I’m Loren, your doctoral student.”

 

Epinephrine scanned her, his brain trying to decipher whether she was his breath of fresh inspiration or a demonic influence from hell itself. It couldn’t decide and settled for a rather rushed “Good morning Loren.”

 

She waited a few seconds to be invited in and then seeing that her new supervisor was in another world gently brushed past him into the study. Epinephrine turned and followed, angrily pulling himself together and wishing his new student was easier to fit into a convenient box.

 

“Perhaps you could tell me a little about yourself Loren? “ Epinephrine asked, offering a seat to the still-grinning student.

 

“Sure professor, why not. I am from a little town about three weeks journey south from here, called Holland City, and I have been studying at Holland College, which we call HC, but you don’t care about that” (Epinephrine nodded his assent).

 

“I am fluent in thirty languages including several animal ones and have a basic understanding of Alchemy. The reason the Head of your university selected me I believe was that I have a real passion for teaching and learning and I have been following you for years.”

 

She looked up at him expectantly and seeing the look of confusion on his face quickly added, “Following your work I mean”

 

“I see” was all Epinephrine could immediately muster. He took a moment and looked the athletic body up and down, as if he could find clues to her thoughts in the shape of her body. And it really was some body. She was not one of these air-headed bimbo stick figures that delighted in parading outside his office in the quadrangle, rather she had an athletic figure that had obviously recently seen some serious training. She had the look of a tightly wound bundle of energy.

 

Her face was pretty-enough, but the eyes were what really caught his attention. They were so deep and at the same time so searching. Epinephrine felt a deep desire for something within them, but he couldn’t place his finger on exactly what. Learning he hoped.

 

Realising that his searching look was lingering perhaps a little more than was professional, he quickly announced “Follow me. I shall show you the rooms that have been allocated to you”

[epinephrine]

Having settled into her very generous room Loren rested her head onto her embroidered pillow and cast her mind back over the previous week. It had been a long and difficult journey over the desert and her emotions had not really helped. The offer of a year working with the renowned professor epinephrine had been a huge shock and a massive pleausre at the same time but she had still been nervous about meeting such a famous academic. In truth she had not known anything of her new supervisor save for his multitudinous writings. Meeting him had been a pleasant surprise. He was much younger than she had pictured and not nearly as stuck up and pompous as her professors back home. Hadn't he even asked about her? Unheard of in HC...

 

The rooms she had been allocated were large and confortable. One for her bedroom with adjoining facilities, one for her study, and one for whatever she chose. She already had plans for a training centre where she could keep up her practice of the ancient art of di philos. She wondered what the professor would say when he discovered his new student had a gift for weaponry and fighting... It would be a test of how interested in her he actually was and how much he was just another egghead academic.

 

Loren got up from her bed and picked up her satchel, a small leather bag that contained the basic alchemic materials and her notes. She was to assist the professor with his class today, the university having insisted that he keep one small class of the most gifted students to be taught once a week. Humph she thought. If he is like any of the others he will probably not even acknowledge my existence. Probably got his potions so far up his..

 

There was a knock at the door.

 

Ears glowing red Loren quickly moved over to the door and opened it. She was surprised to see Epinephrine standing in the doorway.

 

"I thought I should show you the way to the lecture chambers. I wasn't sure if you had been initiated into the ways of our university. Many of the doorways have magical locking mechanisms."

 

"Thanks" Loren responded. Wow I woder who told him to do this? she mused. Probably an order from the Head to be nice to the new student or something. But still, I suppose it was helpful. Donning a grateful face Loren stepped out into the corridor. Was it just her or was he wearing a new robe for this class? Chastising herself for being so ungracious she began to follow epinephrine down to the lecture chambers. It must be becuase she was so tired she told herself. By tomorrow she would be back to her ususal bubbly self.

[epinephrine]

Epinephrine eased back into the soft enveloping leather and breathed a deep lungful of caffeine and chalk dust. The lecture had been interesting to say the least. The look on Loren’s face as he introduced her to the students and explained that she was to teach this class was etched indelibly in his brain. She had handled it admirably, simply pausing for a brief moment to give him the look a wounded animal gives the rest of the herd as they abandon as the weakest member, before delivering a quite admirable explanation of the historical reason for the use of sulphur in the training of magical animals. And her mastery of languages was quite sublime. He had to admit that she was a very talented young lady. Indeed Epinephrine was starting to warm to this annoying disturbance that was his new assistant.

 

A scuffle at the window disrupted his thoughts and he turned to see a falcon folding its muscled wings carefully away as it settled on the ledge. A scrap of blue cloth was tied around its right leg, a message from Diego. And from the other side of the room a gentle knock and the door opened to allow Loren into the study.

 

Torn between a desire to examine the cloth at which the falcon was beginning to scratch and a desire to acknowledge the excellent job that Loren had managed that morning, Epinephrine settled for tripping over the corner of his chair and spilling the remains of his coffee onto a pile of parchments awaiting marking at his feet. He stopped and took another deep breath, quelling the desire in him to curse the causes of the interruption. Ignoring the now smiling Loren, Epinephrine strode over to the window and released the cloth from the restless falcon, which promptly turned and launched itself into the crisp evening air.

 

Inscribed onto the cloth was a single mark. The sight of this mark stepped the Alchemist’s pulse rate up and dried his throat in a single operation like an unwanted shot of poorly prepared endorphin. Striding quickly to a small locker near his workbench he withdrew a small bag. It was already full and strapped to its outside was equipment for climbing and camping. Next he added to the bag three vials, each glowing a slightly different hue of rich yellow. It was only then that he remembered his other interruption. He spun quickly and looked searchingly at Loren. “You have a choice… You can either…”

 

“I’m coming” Loren interrupted. “That is if that is ok by you professor?”

 

“I had rather hoped you might say that. I sense I will have need of your skill with languages. But we don’t have a lot of time. The message is from Diego, a very close friend of mine that lives in Acacia. The blue cloth means trouble, and this marking is an old symbol that we agreed would mean drop everything; I have need of you as soon as possible. That means we leave in ten minutes, no longer. Pack quickly and for a dangerous journey. I will meet you at the gate; I have one more thing to prepare.”

Absorbing this speech in one swift movement, Loren turned and strode quickly from the room. Her brain raced, planning out what was needed and how to fit it into a bag in only ten minutes.

[epinephrine]

The sky was a deep aquamarine blue as Loren arrived at the gateway to the university. The sun was setting gently into the horizon, as if satisfied its work was done for the day. Epinephrine was there already his leather satchel fixed firmly on his back over a thick wool tunic and a pair of walking trousers. Sturdy boots and his staff completed his outfit and gave the thin professor an energetic look that raised questions in Loren’s mind about his age. She had been sure he was pushing forty but in this place he had shed ten years and looked well capable of any long journey. In fact he looked comforting, as though being near him meant security.

 

For Loren’s part she had changed into a loose fitting matching black set of trousers and top. On her feet were her faithful training shoes, worn but reliable. She had a long flat bag slung aver her shoulders and carried a much shorter, smooth cane. Her hair had been tucked up under a scarf she had tied around her forehead and she radiated excitement. As Epinephrine examined her equipment he reflected that she had shed almost all signs of an academic and looked more like an Acacian warrior.

 

“How far do we have to travel?” she asked.

 

"A great distance but it will take only seconds to arrive" was the mystical response from the professor.

 

Epinephrine lead her across a low sandy mound to a tall, birch tree that stood alone apart from the surrounding conifers. Its bark gleamed silver in the moonlight, the evening mist creating an effect that made the tree glow.

Epinephrine strode up to the tree and placed his left palm on the glowing trunk. He quietly spoke three words as if speaking to the tree itself.

 

“Sophia…”

“Phronesis…”

“Logos”

 

A low hum began to emanate from behind the tree. A portal had opened, glowing alternately deep blue and purple. With only a seconds hesitation Epinephrine moved towards it, his face reflecting the powerful colours. He quickly stepped through and disappeared. Left with no real alternative, Loren grabbed her pack and followed.

[epinephrine]

The surface she stepped onto was damp and slippery. And it smelt…interesting at best. She slipped on something damp and a strong hand caught her arm to balance her.

 

“Careful, the seaweed is still damp. The tide is almost out now and we must hurry if we are to get back to the castle before the moon comes up.”

 

Loren looked up into the most stunning eyes she had ever seen. Deep pools of understanding seemed to spin in them and they had the colour of deep earth and bright fire blended evenly. The strong arm that had saved her an embarrassing fall was attached to an ever stronger arm which was in turn fixed to a chiselled torso. She blinked and caught her breath. “Thanks” she managed.

 

“Loren, allow me to introduce Diego” whispered Epinephrine. “I am sorry for this haste but there will be time soon for explanations. Now we must get to safety.”

 

Diego led them along the coast for a few miles before turning sharply inland. They moved along a tiny path through some heavy tree cover for a few minutes until they suddenly came out into a clearing and stopped. Before them was a huge stone castle, the likes of which Loren had never seen. The stone was smooth and carefully laid but was bathed in a blue glow, similar in sheen to that of the portal she had so recently traversed. Holding up a hand as a signal they should wait, Diego moved quickly up to the wall and laid his palm on it. He muttered three words to it that Loren did not catch and the blue glow faded to reveal cold grey stone. Diego opened a heavy door in the wall with a set of keys and beckoned for them to approach.

 

The corridor they stepped into was thin and the ceiling was low but as she followed the charcoal tunic of the professor they entered a large, brightly lit hall filled with gadgets and whirring machines of all kinds. The light came from hundreds of candles set into holders on the wall that burnt with a clean steady flame.

 

“Welcome, my friend” said Diego, taking Epinephrine’s hand and drawing him into a hug. “It has been far too long since your presence graced my humble castle”.

 

“Not long enough for you to give up on these crazy machines I see” said Epinephrine with a broad smile.

 

Brushing off this remark with a feigned look of hurt, Diego turned to his new guest.

 

“My name is Diego Garcia, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance Loren. I am sorry we must meet in such trying circumstances. Welcome to my little castle by the sea.”

 

“My pleasure” smiled Loren “although I would love to see what you call a big castle”.

 

“It’s a joke that Epinephrine and I share” explained Diego. “You should see his home, it makes this look like a desert traders outhouse in comparison.”

 

“All right you two, that’s enough small talk” interrupted the red-faced Epinephrine. “Diego, you know I don’t like people to know about my little house by the sea. Now what is the danger? We have come as quickly as possible as you can see.”

His face turning serious again Diego walked across the room and opened a second door. He stepped into it for a second before reappearing.

 

“Please come and eat and I will explain all”. He led them through into a more cosy room that had a large fire at one end that radiated remarkably friendly warmth. Loren began to wonder about the magical nature of her host’s residence. There were three low chairs set facing each other with small table to one side of each carrying plates and glasses. A servant filled the glasses while they settled into the chairs and then discreetly left out of a side door. He returned seconds later with the food. All this time the two men looked at each other as though engaging in a conversation without words. The smiles were gone and their eyes had both become strangely wide and thoughtful. Loren noticed during all of this that Diego had made a signal to Epinephrine and glanced at Loren. Epinephrine responded with a smile and turned to Loren.

 

“Loren, we have only known each other for a few days and what we are about to discuss is of great importance and danger to those who know about it. We would like your assurance that you understand the danger and also the confidence that accompanies any further information. It is of great importance that you tell no-one what we tell you now. Do we have your assurance?”

 

Loren looked carefully at the two very serious faces before her and wondered how an assurance would be enough proof of her loyalty. But there was something in the eyes of the two mages that told her she would be held to her promise. She blinked twice and responded quietly “I promise”.

 

Diego took up his glass, his face now back to its friendly, welcoming best and took a deep swig of the potent wine it contained.

 

“Then I am afraid I must tell you both that the Stone of Acacia has been stolen”

[epinephrine]

Epinephrine felt all the blood draining away from his face and he gripped the arms of the chair for support.

 

“But how, why, who?” he stammered.

 

“Don’t know, not sure and no idea” responded Diego. “But we do know where it has gone. The Poretas have it. Indeed it arrived in the city of Quem last night. The tracking ward I placed on it is working for now, but I fear that will not last more than a few days. I am not as skilled in these matters as I once used to be. Too much time spent on gadgets and not enough practicing. That is why I called you, my friend. Obviously it must be returned and I hoped you might know of a way.”

 

Epinephrine squirmed in his chair. He felt physically sick at the idea of the Acacian stone being in the hands of the Poretas. Not only for the power it contained but for the secrets it could reveal, his secrets. He took a deep breath and turned to Loren.

 

“There is no time to be lost. You must return to the university for me and retrieve something for me that we will need to retrieve the stone. It is in my desk in the third drawer beneath a false bottom. It resembles a crystal of Copper Sulphate in colour and shape but it is in itself entirely harmless. We will need it to track the Stone should Diego’s ward fail. Here is the key to my study. To open the locks on the door you simply say ‘Logos’. Ok?”

 

Taking this all in with a serious expression on her face Loren assured him she would return as speedily as possible. Accepting the key she turned and strode from the room, all action now.

 

“Where did you find her my friend?” asked Diego. “She is not the usual…build… for a student. What do you know about her?”

 

“She is my new student and she comes from Holland City. Although she did not tell me I believe she studied under professor Talick. If only for this reason I think we should trust her. However I must confess that if she returns with the crystal we will know more certainly. There is a spell over the third drawer in that desk that only allows those with pure intentions to enter it. The spell will prevent her accessing the drawer and will inflict ailments on the intruder according to the inclination of those impure intentions. She will come back empty handed and probably angry if she means to cause us any problems.”

 

“I’m not sure that makes me feel any better. You did notice the shape of that bag she carried and the cane? I am sure she would know what to do if attacked by a Poreta warrior. I just hope she doesn’t decide to take us on. So what is our next move?”

 

“We must prepare for the entry into the Poreta encampment. We will need disguises and weapons. And we don’t have much time. Loren will only be an hour or so.”

 

“Then I suggest we begin my friend. Will you follow me downstairs and I will show you one of the surprises in my little castle.”

 

 

Loren reached the top of the staircase and faced the door to Epinephrine’s study. The oak door was inlaid with the magical qualifications granted to the professor by the university. As she read them quickly over Loren became more and more impressed with her new mentor. His list of accomplishments was long and these were only the official ones. Before coming here her tutor Talick had spoken with quiet awe of Epinephrine and had obviously held him in high regard. Breaking her own thoughts she turned square on to the door and spoke “Logos”. The door unlocked and she pushed it gently open as she entered the room.

 

The room was warm and she felt like a naughty schoolgirl as she crept over the thick carpets to the large mahogany desk. She realised she was treading silently as though to avoid detection. ‘Don’t be stupid’ she scolded herself and managed to straighten a little as she approached the desk. With her hand on the handle to the third drawer she wondered what else was in this desk. It was rumoured amongst the other doctoral students that Epinephrine has many powerful artefacts and dangerous chemicals stored in its deep drawers. She pulled open the desk and pulled up sharply as a gentle electric shock went through her arm. It couldn’t be… No she must be imagining it. Stupid desk she thought. I should have a good look just to spite it for shocking her. She pulled back the false bottom to the drawer and removed a small blue crystal from on top of a couple of papers. Her curiosity took over and she glanced down at the sheets. They read:

 

Janvier 14th,

 

Ma nouvelle étudiante est arrivée aujourd'hui. J'espère qu'elle ne me trouvera pas incompétent.

 

She reeled back realising that it was a diary she was reading. So Epinephrine was worried about what she thought of him… Natural I suppose. Well she certainly didn’t think he was incompetent anyway. But she didn’t like his stupid desk. She gingerly pushed the drawer shut and tiptoed back out of the room.